βοηθέω
to help
Full lexicon entry — Thayer's Greek Lexicon
From Thayer's Greek Lexicon
Where this word appears
See every Aorist-tense verb in the Greek New Testament →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
Tense
- Aorist
- Action viewed as a simple whole, without regard to duration — often past (perfective aspect).
- Present
- Ongoing or general action in present time (imperfective aspect).
Voice
- Active
- The subject performs the action.
Mood
- Imperative
- Expresses a command or request.
- Indicative
- States a fact or asks a factual question (the mood of reality).
- Infinitive
- A verbal noun (“to write”), unmarked for person or number.
Person
- 2nd person
- The one addressed (“you”).
- 1st person
- The speaker (“I / we”).
- 3rd person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one.
1 verse where G997 appears in the Present tense in the Book of Acts. Filtered view — show all forms. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Greek form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Greek New Testament; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences of this word are not indexed here.
Acts
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
“to help” is the headline sense of the Greek verb βοηθεω (boēthéō). First canonically at Matthew 15:25, it enters the text early. With 8 verses in 6 books, it is an uncommon word in the Greek New Testament. It concentrates in Mark, which alone accounts for 25% of its uses. It clusters with βοηθος and βοηθεια under a shared root. See the sense tree, 8-verse concordance, and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's G997 catalogs a Greek word from the Greek New Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Greek New Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 8
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 8 distinct verses.
- 6 / 27
- NT books
- The word appears in 6 of 27 New Testament books.
- #1,240
- by frequency
- Top 2500 most frequent Greek words (rank 1,240 of 5,347 Greek words by occurrence).
View all 8 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the New Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Some books belong to more than one corpus (Luke is in both the Gospels and the Lukan corpus, and so on), so these shares overlap and need not total 100%. Each figure is a share of the word’s 8 distinct verses.
- Gospels 3 verses · 38%
- Lukan (Luke–Acts) 2 verses · 25%
- Johannine 1 verse · 13%
- Pauline corpus 1 verse · 13%
- Hebrews 1 verse · 13%
- Revelation 1 verse · 13%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Help 4×
- American Standard Version: Help 4×
- Berean Standard Bible: Help 5×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Help 6×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders G997 across 8 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 4 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders G997 across 8 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 4 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders G997 across 8 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 3 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders G997 across 8 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 2 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Senses in Thayer's
The 1 sense Thayer's distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency or importance). The full entry — with sub-senses — is in the Lexicon Entry tab.
- to help, succour, bring aid
Word origin
Derived from βοηθος (boēthós) (G998) — helper.
From G998 ; to aid or relieve : - help succour.
— Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (1890), public domain.
Forms in the corpus
The 6 distinct written forms G997 takes in the Greek New Testament, most frequent first — each parse links to that tense’s occurrences in the concordance.
| Form | Parsing | Example | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| βοήθει boḗthei | Verb, Present, Active, Imperative, 2nd person, Singular | Matthew 15:25 | 2 |
| βοήθησον boḗthēson | Verb, Aorist, Active, Imperative, 2nd person, Singular | Mark 9:22 | 2 |
| βοηθεῖτε boētheîte | Verb, Present, Active, Imperative, 2nd person, Plural | Acts 21:28 | 1 |
| βοηθῆσαι boēthē̂sai | Verb, Aorist, Active, Infinitive | Hebrews 2:18 | 1 |
| ἐβοήθησά eboḗthēsá | Verb, Aorist, Active, Indicative, 1st person, Singular | 2 Corinthians 6:2 | 1 |
| ἐβοήθησεν eboḗthēsen | Verb, Aorist, Active, Indicative, 3rd person, Singular | Revelation 12:16 | 1 |
Same root — word family
Other Thayer's entries built from the same root as G997, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Compare all same-root words → They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint usage
The same Greek word βοηθεω appears 72 times in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), across 72 verses in 18 books.
- 72
- LXX occurrences
- Tagged occurrences of this Greek word in the Septuagint.
- 72
- verses
- Distinct Septuagint verses containing this word.
- 18 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 18 of the 39 Old Testament books.
Sample Septuagint occurrences
- Genesis 49:25 βοηθέω
- Deuteronomy 22:27 βοηθέω
- Joshua 10:4 βοηθέω
- 1 Samuel 7:12 βοηθέω
- 2 Samuel 8:5 βοηθέω
- 1 Kings 1:7 βοηθέω
- 2 Kings 14:26 βοηθέω
- 1 Chronicles 12:1 βοηθέω
- 2 Chronicles 19:2 βοηθέω
- Ezra 5:2 βοηθέω
- Esther 8:11 βοηθέω
- Job 4:20 βοηθέω
Septuagint occurrences (same lexeme)
Every verse where the same Strong’s number (G997) appears in the Greek Septuagint — showing the first 50 of 72. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context; the Greek form is the matched word — the English is not keyword-highlighted.
- Genesis 49:25 βοηθέω Even by the God of your father, who will help you, By the Almighty, who will bless you, With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies below, Blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.
- Deuteronomy 22:27 βοηθέω for he found her in the field, the pledged to be married lady cried, and there was none to save her.
- Deuteronomy 28:29 βοηθέω and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways: and you shall be only oppressed and robbed always, and there shall be none to save you.
- Deuteronomy 28:31 βοηθέω Your ox shall be slain before your eyes, and you shall not eat of it: your donkey shall be violently taken away from before your face, and shall not be restored to you: your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have none to save you.
- Deuteronomy 32:38 βοηθέω Which ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink-offering? Let them rise up and help you, Let them be your protection.
- Joshua 10:4 βοηθέω Come up to me, and help me, and let us strike Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
- Joshua 10:6 βοηθέω The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Don't slack your hand from your servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill-country are gathered together against us.
- Joshua 10:33 βοηθέω Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.
- 1 Samuel 7:12 βοηθέω Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto has Yahweh helped us.
- 2 Samuel 8:5 βοηθέω When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.
- 2 Samuel 18:3 βοηθέω But the people said, You shall not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that you are ready to help us out of the city.
- 2 Samuel 21:17 βοηθέω But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, You shall go no more out with us to battle, that you don't quench the lamp of Israel.
- 1 Kings 1:7 βοηθέω He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.
- 2 Kings 14:26 βοηθέω For Yahweh saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; for there was none shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel.
- 1 Chronicles 12:1 βοηθέω Now these are those who came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war.
- 1 Chronicles 12:19 βοηθέω Of Manasseh also there fell away some to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but they didn't help them; for the lords of the Philistines sent him away after consultation, saying, He will fall away to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.
- 1 Chronicles 12:20 βοηθέω As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands who were of Manasseh.
- 1 Chronicles 12:34 βοηθέω Of Naphtali one thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty-seven thousand.
- 1 Chronicles 12:37 βοηθέω On the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, one hundred twenty thousand.
- 1 Chronicles 18:5 βοηθέω When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David struck of the Syrians twenty-two thousand men.
- 1 Chronicles 19:19 βοηθέω When the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and served him: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.
- 2 Chronicles 19:2 βοηθέω Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Should you help the wicked, and love those who hate Yahweh? for this thing wrath is on you from before Yahweh.
- 2 Chronicles 26:13 βοηθέω Under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, who made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.
- 2 Chronicles 26:15 βοηθέω He made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and on the battlements, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. His name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, until he was strong.
- 2 Chronicles 28:16 βοηθέω At that time did king Ahaz send to the kings of Assyria to help him.
- Ezra 5:2 βοηθέω Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.
- Esther 8:11 βοηθέω in which the king granted the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, [their] little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
- Esther 9:16 βοηθέω The other Jews who were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and killed of those who hated them seventy-five thousand; but they didn't lay their hand on the spoil.
- Job 4:20 βοηθέω Between morning and evening they are destroyed. They perish forever without any regarding it.
- Job 20:14 βοηθέω Yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.
- Job 26:2 βοηθέω "How have you helped him who is without power! How have you saved the arm that has no strength!
- Job 29:12 βοηθέω Because I delivered the poor who cried, And the fatherless also, who had none to help him.
- Psalms 21:12 βοηθέω For you will make them turn their back, When you aim drawn bows at their face.
- Psalms 27:7 βοηθέω Hear, Yahweh, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also on me, and answer me.
- Psalms 36:40 βοηθέω
- Psalms 39:14 βοηθέω
- Psalms 40:4 βοηθέω Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust, And doesn't respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
- Psalms 43:27 βοηθέω
- Psalms 45:6 βοηθέω Your throne, God, is forever and ever. A scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom.
- Psalms 53:6 βοηθέω Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of his people, Then Jacob shall rejoice. Israel shall be glad.
- Psalms 69:6 βοηθέω Don't let those who wait for you be shamed through me, Lord Yahweh of Hosts. Don't let those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of Israel.
- Psalms 78:9 βοηθέω The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle.
- Psalms 85:17 βοηθέω
- Psalms 93:17 βοηθέω
- Psalms 93:18 βοηθέω
- Psalms 106:12 βοηθέω Then they believed his words. They sang his praise.
- Psalms 106:41 βοηθέω He gave them into the hand of the nations. Those who hated them ruled over them.
- Psalms 108:26 βοηθέω
- Psalms 118:86 βοηθέω
- Psalms 118:117 βοηθέω
These are occurrences of the same Greek lexeme (G997) in the Septuagint — not a translation of any one Hebrew word. The store carries no word-level Hebrew↔Greek alignment, so no Hebrew original is asserted here. Counts come from the recovered LXX Strong's tagging — high-frequency vocabulary is well covered, while rare or late forms may be untagged — so they reflect tagged occurrences and may slightly undercount.
